Fear of the Devil? Why?
Miedo al Demonio? Porqué?:
Medo do diabo? Por que?

Saint Teresa of Avila Responds:

Against the unjustified fear of the devil, we present an extract of the life of St. Teresa of Avila (Chapter 25, 19-22). It is an encouraging passage, unless we ourselves voluntarily open the door to the devil ...

If the Lord is so powerful as I know and as I see, if the demons are no more than slaves, and that my faith does not permit me to doubt, what harm can they do if I am the servant of the Lord and King? Then why I cannot say - to feel strong enough to face the whole hell?

I grabbed a cross between the hands and it seemed that God gave me the courage necessary. Soon, I was so transformed that have no longer afraid of falling to the arena to fight them all, and shouted to them: "Come here that now, being a servant of the Lord I want to see what you can do to me!"

And it seems they had the same afraid of me because they let me quiet. Thence they did not bother me again and I did not worry I had no more fear of demons, to the point that when they come, as I explain below not only was not afraid of them but really had the impression that they are who were afraid of me.

The Sovereign Master of all things gave me such sovereignty over them that today; they do not put more fear than the flies. They are so cowardly that when they are discarded, they lose the courage.

They only attack frontally those they see that easily surrender, or when the Lord allow in order that, with the persecution struggles, his servants gain merits.

What pleased to His Majesty, is that we only have afraid of what it should be afraid, bearing in mind that only a venial sin affects us more than the whole hell and this is the true reality.

You know when the demons are manifested and should cause us fear? When we care about the honors, the pleasures and the wealth of this world.

Then we, loving and seeking what we should bored, put in their hands the weapons with which we could defend, and encourage them to fight against ourselves, for our greatest loss. It is a pity for me to think about this because, simply just grabbing us firmly on the cross and despise all things for the love of God, for Satan to escapes these practices, more than we shirk the plague.

Friend of lies and he is himself a lie, the Malignant never get along with one that follows the path of truth. But if he sees that the spirit is blurred, makes everything he can to completely blind and when he realizes that a person is so blind to the point to be content with the things of the world which are so vain and futile such as children's games, he is convinced that is dealing with a child, treating them as such and fun to attack and attack again.

Please God that I do not be that way, but, supported by the grace, to rest when it is an occasion to rest, to honor what is worthy of honor, I am happy with what is the real joy and not otherwise.

So I can be showing all horns to the devils, which petrified flee. I do not understand the fear of those who shout: "devil! devil! "they should shout:" God! God! "And thus fill the hell of dread.

We do not know that the demons cannot move without the permission of God? So for what are the fears in vain? For me people terrified by the devil made me more scared than the devil, because this cannot do anything to me while the others especially has to be with bad confessors who fill the soul with inquietudes.

Because of them I spent many years of torment and I still have admiring what have been able to bear. Blessed be the Lord who brought me His valuable help.

Father Gabriel Amorth

Famous exorcist of the diocese of Rome.